Pet shops in Cambridge will soon be restricted from selling non-rescue animals, thanks to an amendment passed by the Cambridge City Council Monday night, Wicked Local Cambridge reported.

The ordinance, which was first presented by Vice Mayor Marc McGovern in 2016, bans the sale of any mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and arachnids not obtained from rescue shelters. This would not include home breeders, such as people who have a litter of dogs in their home and want to sell the puppies.

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The ban won’t go into effect for about year, however, in order to give pet shops in the city a chance to get in compliance with the new restrictions. An advisory committee made up of representatives of the Cambridge Animal Commission, local pet shops, the Humane Society of the United States, the Animal Rescue League of Boston and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) will also meet for 18 months after ordinance adoption to develop a system to help shelters and pet shops work more closely.

Pet industry objects

Despite the year delay, a representative for the pet shop industry sent the City Council a letter Monday opposing the restrictions.

“Upon first learning about the proposed prohibition on the retail sale of companion animals other than fish, we were convinced that a mistake had been made,” Mike Bober, president and CEO of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, wrote. “After all, there are only two stores operating in Cambridge, and both of them are operated by national corporations who lead by example when it comes to responsible sourcing, consumer education and animal welfare.”

Bober wrote that proponents of the restrictions were not willing to work with the two pet shops in Cambridge.

“It quickly became clear, however, that the proponents of this proposition were intent on banning the sale of almost all companion animals within the city,” Bober wrote. “Ironically -- given the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been raised and contributed to animal welfare causes nationwide by the Petco Foundation and PetSmart Charities, both companies’ commitments to unconditionally accept surrendered pets, and their encouragement that prospective pet owners ‘think adoption first’ -- support for animal adoptions and the welfare of animals were cited as the reasons for this legislation.”

Councilors dispute accusations

McGovern said Bober’s letter was inaccurate, and that the city has included pet shop officials throughout the process.

“What’s troubling to me is that at the last hour we get a letter from the pet shop industry really misrepresenting what this process was,” McGovern said. “For them to suggest in their communication that the MSPCA and myself were unwilling to work with them when we had several meetings, upward of half-a-dozen meetings with them, to try and find some common ground is disingenuous at best.”

McGovern said that just because he didn’t reach common ground with the pet industry doesn’t mean they weren’t working together.

“I could probably make the same accusation to them because they didn’t move off their position either,” McGovern said. “But I wouldn’t say that because I did think that they worked with us.”

McGovern pointed to the 18-month working group and the year-long delay in implementing the restrictions and compromises that were made for the pet shops.

“We could have had it implemented immediately,” McGovern said. “We decided to wait a year so that they could have some time to adjust their business.”

McGovern also pointed out that the pet shops still have the option of selling animals.

“They’re just going to have to work with the MSPCA and shelters to get those animals,” McGovern said.